Awesome. Just lovely.
My local phone company is Qwest, but I looked up my phone number online just for fun. In a Reverse Phone Directory. And yes, that does lead to my name and address, as I would expect it to, since I'm listed in the phone book. It's insanely easy to connect most phone numbers to names, and I'm not even the NSA.
This, plus the already-revealed warrantless eavesdropping on international calls by U.S. citizens? I'm not happy.
6:20PM:
Oh, and while we're at it. What earthly good is an enormous database of phone records if you don't plan to use it for some kind of data mining? Inquiring minds want to know.
I've been using Reverse lookup on Anywho.com for many years. It is great when the ad in the paper says "call 555-5555 for more info" so you can know ahead of time who you are calling. I don't think it works with cell phone numbers, however.
Posted by: thainamu at May 11, 2006 04:03 PMNo, cell phones are a bit harder to trace back. At least for free.
Posted by: Ardith at May 11, 2006 04:38 PMTsk, tsk. So suspicious.
Posted by: Wilson at May 11, 2006 07:59 PMDude, yes. I am paranoid and suspicious. Keeps me sane.
Posted by: Ardith at May 11, 2006 08:51 PMOf course, with cell phones there's always the "$30 buys your phone records," but we won't get into that. I'm with Ardith on the paranoid and suspicious.
Posted by: Vengeful Cynic at May 12, 2006 08:28 AMHowever, I heard today that Qwest was one company that didn't comply, so that ought to give you some comfort.
Posted by: votre chère maman at May 12, 2006 07:52 PMIt does, yes. Now I just have to get ahold of Cingular since they're part of AT&T now, and see if anyone will tell me if cell phone call records were part of the data they sold to the NSA.
Because, you know, they didn't ask me.
Posted by: Ardith at May 12, 2006 09:31 PM